Forest Weirdoes
by narufuuin
Summary: just a little something I might work on.


It had been a long time since he was seen. Then again the last time he went out he had been met with a mob seeking his flesh and blood. After he passed out from the pain and shock of it he woke up to three masked ghosts hovering around him… Yeah not exactly a good wake up call to a four-year-old child. So it was in good reason that he kept himself hidden in the village. Disappearing had been good to him so far. It had friendly animals, nice shelter that didn't come with people scowling at you. Though the berries tasted a little weirdly and messed with his tummy sometimes before it would go away after a warm feeling in the same area.

It had been two years since he was last in the sights of one of the villagers. He had learned a lot out in the woods. There were these friendly animals over in the woods that had stayed near him for a while now. He didn't really know what they were called he hadn't learned that much with the old man. They had different color fur with fluffy tails, thinner bodies, ears that stuck up and stayed up not like some dogs he had seen with the old man, and they had pointed faces. They were weird but also really nice to him. When he had at first ran into the woods he had saved one with a really pretty red fur from a weird metal thing with its foot caught in it. Two were his favorites, one had a lighter orange fur and was the one to lead him to a bunch of berries in the forest, that didn't mess with his tummy, the other one was a deep red color and was the one he found.

Since he's been in the forest he's been having really weird dreams with a big red animal behind big bars in front of him just staring at him. It was the same animal that he saw helping him in the woods too he noticed, only with more tails and bigger ears. With its front legs crossed and nine long red tails flowing behind it both eyes were open, big red slit eyes just staring at him. It got really awkward in those dreams. At some times he would walk over and try to climb on one of its tails only for it to pick him up with a different tail and place him in front of him again, though it did look at him like he had done something funny whenever he did that. Whenever he had those dreams he would normally talk to the big animal and see if he could get it to talk back. Though that never happened. He didn't stop trying though. His favorite thing to do during those dreams was to try and climb its body and just lay there. It had really really _really _soft fur.

A rustle around him alerted him to a new presence in the area and he quickly hid his presence and stayed still head down and arms by his sides ready to be used not a moment later.

A moment passed.

Another moment.

Not even sighing the boy no taller than three feet kept still for a few moments more lest whatever ghost comes out soon. Another rustle around him happened. Waiting. Not turning around. Just waiting.

A minute later a figure stood up not two feet from where he was. It was in a black coat and a white mask with painting on it. _Another ghost._ The child thought. Barely breathing he kept still and stretched his senses more until he could hear, feel and see everything. It was odd what ideas came to you if you just sit and thought. Not about anything in particular mind you. Just unclouded, no base just thinking about whatever comes to mind, like opening his senses. Reading was one thing as well. He had learnt from the nice old man in the weird tower in the village since no one else would teach him. _He's a nice old man._ _Ahhh! No sidetracking. The ghost moved a bit._ He berated himself for getting distracted while a ghost was so close to him. No, he was not going to get caught by one of them. Not today.

"Uzumaki-kun where are you" the ghost said in a sad whispered tone that the boy heard.

_Who in the world is Uzumaki-kun? _ He thought confused. A lot of the ghosts had been searching the village for the last few years. Though not a lot of them left the village so the grounds at the outskirts of the village was safe for him. And on the note of names _I still wonder what my name really is. I mean people only really call me 'monster', 'demon spawn' 'demon' 'Kyuubi gaki' not really name material and yet the old man called me Naruto. Yet it was only the old man that called me that. Hmm… So I have the choice of believing the nice old man or the multiple of people who throw other names at me._ He thought.

The short kid saw the figure slump in on itself for a second, as a second ghost suddenly appeared not five feet from where he was. "Did you find him?" the second ghost asked.

"No. He's good at hiding I'll give him that much for sure. How long have we been searching for the kid?" the first ghost spoke now.

"Two years and Three months. Ugh, I will be glad when he comes back to the tower. Then maybe we can actually find out where he's been this whole time." The first answered in a hollow chuckle that was matched by the first.

_OK so. No going near whatever tower they are talking about. _The boy thought trying to keep out of trouble. _Ok now just to keep watch for whenever they leave. _

The ghosts stayed there for a few moments before they decided it was enough and left the area in a poof of smoke. Though there was a small box where the first ghost stood. On it was a note. Looking at the box from his hiding place he stretched his senses and noted only animals in the area. Waiting a few more moments Naruto deemed it safe enough for now and approached the small box.

Walking to the box Naruto could see the note more clearly now and could read what it said.

'_To Naruto-san_

_I hope that you are safe wherever you are. The Hokage is very sad that you disappeared and has sent us looking for you. Inside you should find a few things to help you if you still remember how to read. Well if you don't remember how to read then you wouldn't be reading this I guess but that doesn't matter if it's the case._

_Good luck Naruto-san_

_ANBU Cat'_

.

..

…

_What the heck is ANBU? That is a terrible name! On a different note there was that name again. Naruto. The same one the old man called me. Well… I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look inside if it really is for me._

Opening the small box he found two books and a scroll. _A survival guide to Konoha_ and _Chakra theory I _were the book titles and the scroll didn't have anything on it on the outside. Opening up the scroll he found another note.

'_Dear Naruto-kun_

_My boy I have missed you. I pray each day that you are safe. I hope this finds you in good health on the bottom of this note are presents for you so that you can hopefully survive better if this does find you. Hopefully you remember everything I taught you about reading (_insert eye roll here_)_

_Sandaime Hokage_

_Aka the Professor,_

_Aka Kami no Shinobi,_

_Or more fondly Jiji to you_.'

_Hmm… Well then it was for me. _When he had finished reading at the bottom of the scroll were weird scribbles that glowed for a moment before a poof of smoke happened and suddenly there was more weight in his hands. Not expecting it at all the boy fell forward a bit before catching himself and looking around to see if anyone was there. Now looking at the foreign weight it was two different scrolls with a book underneath it. The first scroll was titles_ Sealing for beginners_ and the second was _Camping in the forests: shelter and food _while the book was: _Forest animals: friend or foe?_

.

..

…

'_Ok either he knows I'm here and is willing to let me live here or he is dropping a lot of books off for free whenever the ghosts think they find me. Somehow I don't think he really cares much for me being here. Oh well that just means I will have to get live with the nice animals on my own more.' _he thought happily.

Shaking his thoughts off he took the books and scrolls into his small bag and left the area to go meet up with his friends.

-FW-

"You know the odds of him finding any of them are still extremely small right Hokage-sama?" an old ANBU said from in front of his leader's desk. "And they are only getting smaller every day."

"I will keep doing it until he is found. A different one each time he is sighted. I pray that he is safe." The gray haired old man said tiredly to his old friend. "It's been two years now. I wonder how the seal is keeping up?"

"Well we have kept our sensors on alert and nothing has shown since he disappeared so I think the seal is fine. We both know the fox wouldn't let him die that easily." The ANBU said as his leader nodded in acceptance.

"And so he is alive if he was in trouble we both know that the fox would retaliate against whatever threat to his safety so he can't have been in too much danger."

Nodding to his leader he also offered one more piece of good news, "Not to mention the fact that if ANBU can't find him then there is no way Danzo and his ilk got hold of him.

Hiruzen could only nod as he waited for his adopted grandson to reveal himself to the world again.

-FW-

Naruto was sitting in his little 'den' he had gotten a lot out of the books and scrolls that the old man had given him in that weird scroll. Though he would never call it unwelcome. He had learned a lot from it. For example what the animals were called. It seemed he had befriended foxes. And the big one in his dream was also a fox. Only with 9 tails and bunny ears. He had even gotten the big guy/girl/fox-bunny-hybrid to chuckle once! It was awesome. It was all deep and intimidating like even if he/she/it(?) spoke he/she/it would scare anyone talking to him/her it(?) It was when he was talking to him/her/it(?) about his adventures with his other fox buddies. He had decided to call them Yuki and Kaze, Yuki was the orange one and Kaze was the red one. Though even in the past two months with the foxes in the woods Naruto was still considering giving in to his curiosity to go to whatever tower the ghosts had been talking about. Maybe, he had gone through the chakra theory scroll and had nearly immediately thrown it out because of how boring it was, only the fact that the kind old man had given it to him had made him keep it.

But tonight that wouldn't really matter. He was going to sleep soon to talk to the big guy/girl/fox… whatever he would soon find out!

-FW-

"Ano… are you a guy or a girl?" Naruto asked to the giant fox bluntly.

A low growl was his answer as he saw the giant eyes focus on him in a more threatening manner than they had beforehand.

"Hey! It's not like I can't tell with your size! Plus I don't know how to address you!" he shouted back not intimidated at all by the creatures giant size.

The growl got softer in response but did not entirely cease.

"Are you a guy?" louder growl "Are you a girl?" a much lower growl was his answer as the giant head nodded. "See that wasn't so bad was it?" he asked happily. The giant girl fox only stared him at in reply. "Right. Well can you help me? I was thinking of going back into the village to search for the tower that ghost-san was talking about a while ago. Do you think that's a good idea? So I can find the nice old man?" this time he didn't get a growl or any type of answer that he expected.

"**Why not go?"**

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..

…

"YOU CAN SPEAK?!" he screamed.

"**Why wouldn't I be able to speak ningen?" ** She replied.

At this the blonde appeared very confused as if he was thinking very hard about something. After a minute he asked, "What's a ningen?"

"… **Never mind just go find your old man."** She said not finding much amusement in him at the moment. For that was really the only reason she listened to him even though she saw through the seal what his life was it was a much different view from his perspective than from hers. After all a child's view of the world is much different than a beings that had been alive for millennia, much more entertaining to listen to as well.

"So… how long have you been able to speak? And why haven't you been talking to me in response? I've been feeling like an idiot for talking to something that might not understand what I was saying." He asked again quite quickly.

"**And for what reason would I have to even speak to you mortal?"** she asked again.

And again Naruto put on his thinking face, his brows furrowing, his eyes going slightly cross-eyed, and his right hand rubbing an imaginary beard. The sight was kind of cute for the giant fox. "What's a mortal?"

If she was human she would face-palm"**… Never mind."**

"Awww… I wanted to know. But anyways why haven't you been talking?" he asked again still a little upset she hadn't talked to him yet.

"**Just be grateful I tolerate you enough to listen at all,"** she said in a little more annoyed tone.

He brought his hand up to ask something again when he got a glare to keep it down. He slowly brought his hand down chuckling nervously. "OH! Can I lay on your fur?" he asked getting excited again his eyes bright.

"**Why in the nine hells would I let someone like you lie on MY fur?"** she asked now more than a little annoyed at the yellow annoyance. Maybe speaking after all this time wasn't such a good idea.

"Because it's sooooooo comfy and its super soft! It's so fluffy I'm gonna die if I don't get to lay on it!" he said getting her attention with eyes larger than they should be sparkling at the idea of her fur.

"… **fine. Do whatever."** She said more than a little weirded out on getting the compliments to her fur.

"YAY" he yelled as he ran as fast as his little feet could take him towards the big red and female fox.

And so Naruto laid on the suuper comfy fur of the giant female fox. As he lay there he had another question.

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..

…

"Ano… do you have a name?" he asked timidly.

'**I should have stayed quiet.'** And for the rest of the time in his dreams the giant now-identified-female fox stayed quiet trying to sleep. While ignoring the constant questions and then stories from the blonde on her back as he kept talking, and talking, and talking. Eventually he started humming a song with no apparent melody and started swaying on her fur as he got more and more tired and soon stopped after falling asleep. Had he been aware he would have heard the amused chuckle from the fox.

"**Sleep well kit."** She spoke after listening for a few minutes.

-FW-

**Well how was it? This may or may not be followed up. While it was fun to write I have no idea of where to go from here so if anyone wants to adopt it let me know and you can.**


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